The Heretics (2009)

In the captivating documentary, The Heretics, we dive into the heart of the "second wave" of the Women's Movement, witnessing the story of a group that stood as one of its pillars. The film is directed by Joan Braderman, who, driven by her own dream of filmmaking, voyaged to New York City in 1971. There she became a part of the revolutionary feminist art collective, Heresies, nestled in the vibrant art world of 1970s lower Manhattan. In this feature-length film, the collective's saga is revealed for the first time, painted with the brush of innovative digital motion graphics, which frame the narrative in a fresh, striking manner. The Heretics weaves a rich tapestry of intimate interviews with former collective members, evocative archival footage from the era, and documents from the Heresies collective, the minds behind HERESIES: A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics, published from 1977 to 1992. The film situates the Heresies collective within the wider context of the second-wave movement, a wave composed of thousands who convened in small, confidential groups to deliberate on issues and initiate programs and actions pertinent to women. Former Heresies members, now dispersed globally and thriving in various fields such as art, writing, architecture, painting, filmmaking, design, editing, curation, and teaching, share personal reflections on the profound era they experienced together. The Heretics is more than just a documentary; it is a journey back in time, challenging the notions of gender and power, and illuminating the efforts that paved the way for future generations to re-envision their lives.

The Heretics is a biography movie featuring Joan Snyder and directed by Joan Braderman.

The Heretics is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and it's also available on OVID.